Snow, snow, and more snow.

Here in the frigid Northeast we are buried under feet of snow, with more on the way.  Looking outside I can't even see the tombstones in the historic graveyard behind my house, and the picnic table in my backyard is gone in a sea of white.   The deck railing is barely visible, but there is no difference in height between the snow on my deck and the topmost visible section of railing.

The snow is everywhere - in the house, around the house, in our cars, our shoes, our hair.  The roads are slushy and frozen, the glare of early morning sun makes it even harder to see out of our already dirty windshields and the banks on either side threaten to topple over and restrict our ability to see what's coming worse than blinders on a racing horse.

In short, we're really sick and tired of being cold and snowed in.

So how, in the midst of all this loathing (and it really is, make no mistake) do we seek out and cling to the light that was promised to us at the equinox?  We know that Spring is coming, the sun is showing more between the heavily laden clouds.... so how do we hold onto that instead of slipping into the cold and dark?

I was talking to a few of my friends online back near Imbolc, and one of them mentioned how they never really grabbed onto Yule as the "big Winter celebration" because it isn't at the start of winter that we need to be celebrating.  It's now, when the world is frozen solid, that we need to be having people over and celebrating and feeling the warmth of family to stave off the ugliness of the weather outside.   I sent her a smiley and replied with "well, look at it for Candlemas instead.  Light things up!  Make a huge meal, have people over and light every freaking candle in the house when you do."  I reminded her that Candlemas was the point in winter where there would be a huge party if they had an abundance of supplies.  It was to celebrate that they'd gotten that far through winter without having to tap their deep stores.  You celebrate that the earth is warming, the sun is stronger.  You look at your seeds for spring and know you'll be planting soon.  It is a perfect time for a party, and a very necessary one too.  My sister was up and visiting for Imbolc this year, and we cooked a lot, ate a lot and reminisced a lot.  It was a lovely way to spend the holy day.

So in these days, not so long after that February 1st celebration, I look at my candles and light them, holding my cold hands over the warmth of their flames, and remember the warmth of the sun that grows stronger each day.  When I see the sun, I smile at it and remember the snow won't last forever.
I also take a moment and thank the snow and the cold for the good they do for the earth - the sharpness of the seasons are important.  Without the frigid temps now, we wouldn't appreciate the heat of summer - and alternately we wouldn't appreciate the cold if not for the searing temps in summer.  We look longingly for the moderate Spring and Fall, for the burst of color those two seasons bring.  We need the changes in season as much as the earth does, and must thank each in their turn.

So light your candles, drink a warm cup of tea, and smile at the snow drifts, and know they're melting even as the snow falls, from underneath where the earth warms as she turns toward Spring.